Report on Avian Influenza in the Eastern Hemisphere During 1997–2002

Since the Fourth International Symposium on Avian Influenza (AI) there has been considerable AI activity in the Eastern Hemisphere. The higher profile of AI resulting from the human infections with H5N1 and H9N2 viruses in Hong Kong, in 1997 and 1999, respectively, resulted in increased reporting and active surveillance. There have been three reported incidents of high-pathogenicity (HP) AI: H5N2 in northeastern Italy in 1997 (eight outbreaks);...